Do it Yourself Camp Kitchen

A do-it-yourself camp kitchen stove offers a fast and easy way to cook camp food. You can use old tin cans and a piece of cardboard and dispose of them after using, or purchase new materials and clean them afterward for reuse. Use your heat source and do-it-yourself stove to create simple rice and pasta dishes or grill fish and warm meats. Use a flat, dry surface when cooking food to prevent your stove from toppling over.

Things You'll Need

  • 2-ounce tin can
  • 2-inch-by-15-inch piece of corrugated cardboard
  • Paraffin wax
  • Matches or lighter
  • Two rags
  • Larger tin can
  • Blunt knife
  • Screwdriver
  • Tin snips
  • Aluminum foil
  • Canned goods
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Instructions

    • 1

      Wash a 2-ounce tin can and then pat it dry using a clean towel. The tin can will act as a heat source for your do-it-yourself camp stove.

    • 2

      Cut a 2-inch-by-15-inch piece of corrugated cardboard. Spool the cardboard tightly into a roll. Press the cardboard roll tightly inside the tin can. If the cardboard extends past the edge of the tin can, trim it as needed.

    • 3

      Top off the can with melted paraffin wax. Remove excess wax using a second cloth. Set the can aside so the wax will harden.

    • 4

      Puncture several holes along the edge of a larger tin can using a blunt knife or screwdriver. Cut an opening in the tin can using tin snips. The opening should be about 4 inches long and 3 inches wide and resemble a flap. Fold the flap over until it is flush with the inside wall of the can. Turn the can upside down.

    • 5

      Set fire to the cardboard, which should be hard by now, inside the 2-ounce tin can. Place the larger tin can over the smaller one. Be careful of the flames. Give the "stove" three to five minutes to heat up.

    • 6

      Make do-it-yourself cooking "pans" using clean vegetable cans and coffee tins. Use your stove to sterilize water, cook rice, boil oatmeal or heat beans. When grilling, place fish in aluminum foil, and grill on either side for up to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.